Throughout the ages, the Japanese devised various methods of contraception, some more inventive than others. The most common contraceptive technique was the "yojigami." A sheet of rice paper, moistened with saliva, was inserted in the vagina following intercourse.
The use of various powders was also popular. Some less appetizing ideas included eating monkey's brains in hot water, acorns in tannin with rust and vinegar, large quantities of turnips and pulverized mirror silvering.
